Week 13, the killing joke response

1. What is my reaction to what I just read?

So I'm going to admit, I saw the animated adaption of this comic beforehand, and frankly I think it pales in comparison to the comic. Correct me if I'm wrong, they also threw in Barbara having a thing for Batman in the movie too right? Ew, they didn't have to do that, it wasn't even in the comic. No one liked that part!

So overall, my ain take away from this comic is that, I inferred some things form the joker that I've never thought of before. This might just be my opinion, but here's what I took from it:

When the joker is running away from batman once the robbing heist goes wrong, he tries to escape him in that rinky dinky red costume. When he finally makes the choice to evade batman and jump off the platform into some toxic waste, I feel like that was symbolic of suicide. When the joker came out, his skin was white, and he was more insane than he ever was before. With the build up of loosing his wife and being a failure for so many years, I think he finally had it. Towards the end, the joker even pleads with Batman to beat him up. He was so broken and it seemed he just wanted to die, "again". 

2. What connections did I make with the story?

Sometimes all it takes is "one bad day" for someone to snap. Not to necessarily commit suicide because that's extreme, but in the case of the joker, I think that's what happened. 

Lately I've been under a lot of stress and there has been a LOT of unnecessary drama in my life. It took one student at Ringling trying to scare me and screaming "BOO!" in my ear for me to snap and yell at him "quit it!". 

Also, please note I am healthy, I have a good support system, and loving family. 

But imagine this: you've got all these deadlines, your friends are being ridiculous and conjuring up drama that isn't there, and when you're trying to keep it cool... just one tiny thing can set you over the top. Like someone straight YELLING into your ear.

I relate with Batman and Mr. Gordon, because I'd want to show him there was still right in this world, and if things were done or happened properly, he could be helped. 

3. What changes would I make to adapt the story into another medium, what medium would I use, what changes would I make?

I think this would be an amazing podcast. Especially since it would be all the more immersive with headphones on, you could really experience Mr. Gordon's madness during the carnival ride. Plus that would be a little refreshing to add to the comic genre, I don't think I know of a podcast adaption of any comic. 

I would not allow any alterations to Barbara's side of the story, because in the animated adaption its implied that she was raped by the joker. 

One change I would make is that in the comic, everyone but batman and the joker look older. If batman was aged up a little bit, that would've made a lot more sense. The joker, he's got some wild wrinkles in some of the panels so he's fine. Let batman have wrinkles and saggy skin, batman isn't going to live forever either.